12/3/2009

Budget hearing to open with elected officials, department heads

Contact

Mary Keltz, Public Information and Outreach Phone: (360) 397-6012

Vancouver, WA – A public hearing to consider changes to the county’s General Fund budget for 2010 will begin at 2 p.m., Monday, Dec. 7, starting with presentations by the county’s elected officials and department directors.

On Tuesday, Dec. 8, the Board of Clark County Commissioners plans to hear testimony from the public, starting at 10 a.m. and again at 7 p.m. An additional public comment period is set for Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 1:30 p.m. All sessions will be in the sixth-floor hearing room at the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St., Vancouver. By law, the budget must be “readopted” by the end of the first full week in December.

If approved, proposed adjustments of $12.5 million would take effect in January, making the third budget reduction in a year. The 2008 mortgage crisis drove an initial $29 million reduction to the construction-dependent General Fund budget when it was passed last December. The Board made a “supplemental” reduction of $21 million, effective July 1, 2009.

Reductions were needed because revenues from sales and property taxes are down substantially. Interest earnings have declined, fee collections lag, and some costs continue to rise.

To prevent a deficit, Clark County already has:

• Eliminated about 200 jobs, about half through attrition and half through layoffs
• Frozen managers’ salaries for the second year
• Frozen non-represented hourly workers’ pay for 2010
• Reduced work hours and pay for many employees
• Imposed strict hiring controls and
• Trimmed operating costs such as contracting, mailing, training and travel.

The latest proposal calls for another 70 jobs to be eliminated, about half through unfilled vacancies and half through layoffs of employees already notified. Earlier this year, about 30 employees accepted a voluntary retirement incentive. For more information please visit the county’s Web site: www.clark.wa.gov.

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